Second instalment of the Heart Lines series

“Magic, especially the old, earth magic, always comes with a price.” - Alex

Sam has regained her memory but still has no idea how to tap into her powers to heal others. Edie has recruited Sam to work for CHAS as a consultant with access to resources and a lab. She and RJ team up to investigate the mysterious infection that is causing werewolves to turn feral and violent.

While on a winter break in Guam with her Aunt Kiwi, Sam learns of a prophecy that foretells the return of the god of the ocean and goddess of the moon and the fierce battle for power that will break out between them. This prophecy has already been set in motion with the feral werewolves;

“According to the legend, if the ocean god couldn’t find and kill his son, he would resort to stealing his humanity. His second soul. Thus, the animal would be wild. With nothing left of their son’s humanity, the moon goddess would consider the deal broken, and she would bring the wrath of the darkness upon all Hunters.” - Kiwi

Most shocking of all is the revelation that Sam isn’t simply one of the original women that the goddess gave her magic to but ‘the one who gave her magic away in the first place.’

When RJ is attacked by a feral werewolf, Sam is unable to tap into her power to heal and is forced to kill it. This results in her seeking out the island spirit Taotaomona, for answers. Sam learns that magic comes with a price but that she must ‘use it or it uses you.’ For every creature Sam heals, the magic will give her a piece of their pain and leave a mark in the form of a scar. Unfortunately despite developing The Knowing from her meeting with Taotaomona, Sam is no closer to tapping into her ability to heal.

When Alex learns of RJ’s werewolf attack, he returns to Half Moon. He is appalled by the newly developed scars on Sam and despite his ailing health, refuses to allow her to heal him. Sam is further frustrated when her attempts to heal Mason result in him going into a coma. At the end of her tether, she seeks out Sushna, an ancient and deadly magic wielder. Through her, Sam finally learns the answers to the questions she’s been looking for.

Following another werewolf attack, Alex is bitten and on the brink of death. Unfortunately the solution to healing him may cost both Sam and he, more than they are willing to give...

Inheritance is the second book of the Heart Line series and is once more told from Alex and Sam’s point of view. I felt that the author expanded on her world building considerably in this instalment. We see Sam learn more about who and what she is. We also learn more about Alex’s background, the fact that his mother was a healer too.

The legend behind the creation of hunters and werewolves was intriguing. The idea that a god of the ocean and a moon goddess fell in love and briefly dwelt on earth. That the god became jealous of the attention the goddess bestowed on their child and tried to kill him. To protect him, the goddess gave the child the ability to shift into a wolf and man, which gave him two souls. The god became enraged and created Hunters to seek out and kill the wolf child. To maintain the balance, the goddess made werewolf venom, poisonous to the Hunters. Having grown old and weak due to her time on Earth, she passed her magic to heal wolves to ‘chosen ones’. Animosity between Hunters and Werewolves has existed ever since.

There were a few teasers from the Dirty Blood series, especially when references were made to Tara’s scientifically engineered blood, where I felt at disadvantage once more for not reading the prequel series. It’s simply explained as its ‘her story to tell.’ As a result, I do feel that I would have benefited from reading the Dirty Blood series first.

Inheritance is definitely a stronger instalment than the first book which ends on a huge cliffhanger. Luckily I’m lined up to read Esperance next.

I received an advanced free audible copy of Inheritance that was narrated by Kelly Pruner who made it easy to differentiate between the different characters.

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